2. More Facebook fakery.

The New York Times has uncovered more social media shenanigans from the 2017 Roy Moore – Doug Jones Senate election.

Scott Shane and Alan Blinder – the same guys who reported on the Russian-style attempt to dupe voters into voting for Jones – have a new story this morning on an attempt to use a prohibition-ish effort to turn off voters.

“Dry Alabama” was a Facebook group created ostensibly to urge the Senate candidates to push for Alabama to become a dry state again.

Tying that pretty unusual position to Roy Moore, organizers figured, would turn a lot of business-type Republicans off to Moore and help Jones win.

It’s kind of surreal to read and it makes you wonder how many of these things there were.

The screenshot above is from Liz BeShears, who told the NYT she found it amusing at the time.

A message from the Alliance for Alabama’s Infrastructure

The Alliance for Alabama’s Infrastructure welcomes members of the Alabama Legislature back to the Capital City for the 2019 Legislative Session.

Thank you for your commitment to serving Alabama and working on behalf of the people to solve problems.

As you know, one critical problem all Alabamians deal with daily is our crumbling roads and bridges. The Alliance looks forward to continuing a conversation about how smart investments in transportation infrastructure can protect and create jobs and increase the quality of life for all Alabamians.

Click HERE to learn more about the growing statewide effort to #FixALRoads .

3. What a mess.

Steve Savarese, call your office.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association’s decision to suspend Charles Henderson basketball star Maori Davenport is making national waves and resulting in calls for more accountability at the AHSAA.

Davenport – a Rutgers signee – was ruled ineligible for mistakenly cashing and then returning a check from USA Basketball for her play last summer.

But in the last few days, Rutgers coach Vivian Stringer pointed out how unfair she thought the ruling was. That got ESPN’s Jay Bilas to comment during the Alabama-Kentucky game, saying “This is a travesty and it is wrong.”

Bilas didn’t hold back from assigning blame.

“This was the sole decision of Executive Director Steve Saverese,” he said.

Now, Alabama lawmakers are speaking out saying this decision is another reason why the AHSAA needs more oversight.

Reps. Wes Allen, Kyle South and Chris England are all quoted in Sean Ross’ story for YellowHammer this morning questioning Saverese’s decision and calling for greater accountability at AHSAA.

This story is only getting more legs, and the entire legislature will soon be in town for the Organizational Session.

4. What’s up with the Triana case?

Prosecutors said Gilbert was trying to use legislative influence to pressure Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama to cover a diabetes treatment at his clinics.

Prosecutors said Gilbert in 2016 paid $2,000 to then-House Majority Leader Micky Ray Hammon of Decatur to quietly generate support for legislation that would require the insurer to cover the treatment. The bill did not pass.

So, Gilbert pleads guilty. Hammon had already pleaded guilty.

But what about the other three individuals charged in the case: Former Reps. Jack Williams and Randy Davis and lobbyist Marty Conners.

Williams is already in pre-trial diversion and court documents indicate that Conners and Davis are now also seeking that avenue and will not be prosecuted.

That’s all anyone can find out on the record.

This morning, Inside Alabama Politics is reportingwhispers that the pre-trial diversions are really a way for prosecutors to save face in a case where evidence against Williams, Conners and Davis was lacking.

It will be interesting to see how quietly this is all settled.

5. Matthew Stokes: A fiscal conservative ponders the gas tax.

What’s a Reagan-loving, fiscal conservative to do when a low-tax haven like Alabama starts talking about raising revenue through increasing the gas tax?

Context is important, he argues, not just to understanding the current gas tax debate but for coming to terms with why Reagan Republicans were and are still so anti-tax.

But if Republicans do enact a gas tax, the onus is on them to explain why the policy is needed and show a level of restraint rare for politicians.

Here’s an excerpt:

“As a conservative, I want the government the have less of a role in all our lives. I want to see power distributed down to the most local level possible. In governing as in life, we often get that for which we pay. At some point voters are going to demand more. They won’t be wrong when they do, and if conservatives and Republicans are wise, they will be ready to lead the way with a well-funded policy agenda that is both robust and restrained.”